The Common Barn Owl is not so common in Midwestern states where it’s considered vulnerable. A recent surprise appearance in Wisconsin highlighted the species’ fragile status in the region.
A raptor listed as an endangered or threatened species in seven Midwestern states made a rare appearance in Wisconsin late in 2009. The ailing barn owl, which couldn’t fly or stand when rescued in Mequon, is being rehabilitated in the Pine View Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Fredonia.
Although once abundant in the Midwest — and relatively plentiful globally — the common barn owl has plummeted in population in the seven states since the early 1960s. A combination of habitat loss from farmland development and the past use of toxic pesticides has depressed barn owl numbers in the region. Barn owls are more susceptible than other owl species to pesticides, although most of the problem chemicals affecting them are no longer in use.